Petitioner hereby disclaims the terminal part of any patent granted on the instant application, which would extend beyond the expiration date of U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,550, as presently shortened by any terminal disclaimer. Petitioner hereby agrees that any patent so granted on the instant application shall be enforceable only for and during such period that it and the above listed patent are commonly owned. This agreement runs with any patent granted on the instant application and is binding upon the grantee, its successors, or assigns.
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the art of tilling soil, and more particularly to the art of a soil tiller having dual direction tines and a spring biased repacking roller.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide tillers for use in tilling (i.e., plowing or cultivating) soil in preparation for planting, for example. Some tillers have tines that can be rotated in two directions (dual direction tillers) to thereby provide two alternative types of tilling. It is also known to provide a tiller with a separate roller that lightly repacks tilled soil in order to prevent the tilled soil from being easily blown away by wind. These known tillers are generally effective in accomplishing their intended purpose. However, these known tillers have problems.
One problem in the art relates to dual direction tillers. Known dual direction tillers require either that the tiller unit itself be driven in two opposite directions (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,670, for example) or that the tiller axis with tines be manually detached from the tiller and then reattached with the tines placed in an opposite position. What is needed is a dual direction tiller that can be adjusted on-the-go between the dual directions by simply adjusting a single lever.
Another problem in the art relates to tillers having separate rollers. Known rollers are rigidly attached to the tiller. The problem is that when the roller contacts a large rock or other large obstacle lying on the ground, both the roller and the tiller are lifted away from the ground. This lifting will reduce the effectiveness of the tilling and may cause damage to the tiller. What is needed is a roller that is free to move relative to the tiller thereby maintaining the tiller tines in contact with the soil at all times.
The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for easily adjusting a dual direction tiller into two rotational directions on-the-go and for providing a separate roller that can be moved relative to the tiller. The difficulties inherit in the art are therefore overcome in a way that is simple and efficient, while providing better and more advantageous results.